Echinacea plant named ‘Katie Saul’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Echinacea  plant named ‘Katie Saul’, characterized by its upright and columnar plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; large single inflorescences with salmon pink-colored ray florets; and strong flowering stems that hold the inflorescences upright.

Botanical designation: Echinacea purpurea×Echinacea paradoxa.

Cultivar denomination: ‘KATIE SAUL’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea plant, botanically known as Echinacea purpurea×Echinacea paradoxa, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Katie Saul’.

The new Echinacea originated from an open-pollination in July, 2002, of an unnamed selection of Echinacea purpurea×Echinacea paradoxa, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Echinacea purpurea×Echinacea paradoxa, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Echinacea was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Dahlonega, Ga. in June, 2003.

Asexual reproduction of the new Echinacea by tissue culture in a controlled environment in Atlanta, Ga. since September, 2003, has shown that the unique features of this new Echinacea are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Katie Saul has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Katie Saul’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Katie Saul’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea:

-   -   1. Upright and columnar plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Large single inflorescences with salmon pink-colored ray         florets.     -   5. Strong flowering stems that hold the inflorescences upright.

Compared to plants of the female parent selection, plants of the new Echinacea are more freely branching and differ in ray floret coloration.

Plants of the new Echinacea can be compared to plants of the Echinacea cultivar Magnus, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Dahlonega, Ga., plants of the new Echinacea differed from plants of the cultivar Magnus in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Echinacea were more vigorous than plants of         the cultivar Magnus.     -   2. Flowers of plants of the new Echinacea were more fragrant         than flowers of plants of the cultivar Magnus.     -   3. Plants of the new Echinacea had larger flowers than plants of         the cultivar Magnus.     -   4. Plants of the new Echinacea and the cultivar Magnus differed         in ray floret color as plants of the cultivar Magnus had red         purple-colored ray florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Echinacea. The photograph show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Echinacea. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Katie Saul’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurement describe plants grown in Dahlonega, Ga. during the spring and summer in an outdoor nursery and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Echinacea production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from about −5° C. to about 35° C. and night temperatures ranged from about −15° C. to about 21° C. Measurements and numercial values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were about one year old when the photograph and description were taken.

-   Botanical classification: Echinacea purpurea×Echinacea paradoxa     cultivar Katie Saul. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Unnamed selection of Echinacea             purpurea×Echinacea paradoxa, not patented.         -   Male parent.—Unknown selection of Echinacea             purpurea×Echinacea paradoxa, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By tissue culture.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About two weeks at 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 45 days             at 29° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 60 days             at 21° C.         -   Root description.—Thick; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Upright and columnar plant habit;             freely basal branching with about six basal branches;             terminal inflorescences held upright on strong peduncles.             Vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 32 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 25 cm.         -   Basal branches.—Length: About 32 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Internode length: About 5 cm. Aspect: Upright. Strength:             Strong. Texture: Pubescent; rough. Color: 146A tinted with             183A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Length.—About 10.5 cm.         -   Width.—About 4.2 cm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acute; tapering.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Irregularly dentate; indentations shallow and             widely-spaced.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent; rough.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface:             147A; venation, close to 147B. Developing and fully expanded             foliage, lower surface: Darker and more green than 147B;             venation, close to 147B to 147C.         -   Petiole.—Length: Long, about 11.2 cm. Diameter, at leaf             base: About 2 mm. Diameter, at stem attachment: About 5 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: 147B to 147C; towards the stem,             tinted with 183A. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Rotate single inflorescence form with ray and             disc florets. Inflorescences terminal and held upright on             strong peduncles. Inflorescences persistent.         -   Fragrance.—Moderate; sweet.         -   Time to flower.—Plants flower continuously from the spring             through the summer in Georgia.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good             substance for about two weeks on the plant.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 9 mm. Diameter: About 8 mm.             Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to 147B.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 8.5 cm. Depth (height):             About 1.5 cm. Disc diameter: About 2.5 cm. Receptacle             height: About 6 mm. Receptacle diameter: About 1 cm.             Receptacle color: Close to 155D.         -   Ray florets.—Length: About 4 cm. Width: About 1 cm. Shape:             Elongated oblong. Apex: Emarginate. Base: Attenuate; fused             into a short corolla tube. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Number of ray florets per             inflorescence: About 14 arranged in a single whorl. Aspect:             Horizontal to drooping or slightly reflexed. Color: When             opening, upper surface: Close to 26A faintly overlain with             close to 45A. When opening, lower surface: Close to 27A             faintly underlain with close to 45A. Fully opened, upper             surface: Close to 26A to 26C; towards the base, overlain             with close to 45A; color becoming closer to 27A with             development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 27A             faintly underlain with close to 45A; color becoming closer             to 27A with development.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular; apex five-pointed. Length:             About 7 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Number of disc florets per             inflorescence: About 125. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             Immature: 144A. Mature: Apex: 183A. Mid-section: 144A. Base:             155D.         -   Receptacle spines.—Quantity: One per disc floret. Length:             About 1.2 cm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape: Acicular. Apex:             Sharply acute. Base: Tapering. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: Apex: 23A. Mid-section: 144A. Base: 155D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 60 in about             three whorls. Length: About 9 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape:             Linear to lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: 147A; towards the base, 146A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamens per disc floret:             One. Filament length: About 8 mm. Filament color: Close to             145D. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther length: Less than 1 mm.             Anther color: Close to 146B to 146C. Pollen amount:             Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 12A. Gynoecium: Pistil             length: About 3 mm. Stigma shape: Cleft; reflexed. Stigma             color: Close to 150D. Style length: About 2.5 mm. Style             color: Close to 150D. Ovary color: Close to 157D.             Seeds/fruits: Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Echinacea. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Echinacea have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Echinacea. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Echinacea have been     observed to tolerate temperatures from about −15° C. to about 35° C. 

1. A new and distinct Echinacea plant named ‘Katie Saul’ as illustrated and described. 